Moving Planet Press Room

"Moving Planet" is a global day of action on September 24, 2011 dedicated to "moving the planet away from fossil fuels." Thousands of events are planned in over 170 countries around the world. Please click on the links below to learn more about the day, access photos and videos, and connect with our spokespoeple across the planet.

Contact | Press Releases | Featured Global Events | Photos | Videos

Click on the links below for press releases from around the world:

USA | Africa | Middle East |  Brasil | América Latina | Pacific | Asia | India | UK | Germany | France

For information about Moving Planet events in other regions of the world, please contact Jamie Henn.

Contact Information

For General Press Inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Henn, 350.org Communications Director
email: jamie@350.org
phone: 415-601-9337

For USA "Moving Planet" Events, please contact:

Molly Haigh, 350.org US Communications Coordinator
molly@350.org | 907-750-1999

See the press release links above for specific regional contacts.

For general inquiries (non-press) please call 510.684.6762

Press Releases

September 24, 2011

Thousands of “Moving Planet” Climate Rallies Underway Worldwide

*** Hi-res Photos and Videos of Events Available for Press ***

GLOBAL -- Photos and videos of massive bicycle rides and marches are streaming onto the 350.org website this morning, as over 2,000 “Moving Planet” clean-energy demonstrations get underway in 175 countries around the world.

“The planet has been stuck for too long with governments doing nothing about the biggest problem we've ever faced,” said Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, the international climate campaign coordinating the demonstrations. “This is the day when people will get the earth moving, rolling towards the solutions we need.”

Moving Planet got an early start in Cairo on Friday afternoon, when hundreds of Egyptians took to the streets to form a “Human Nile,” raising awareness about the threat global warming poses to critical water resources.

As the sun rose in the Pacific Saturday morning, villagers on the island of Tonga held a ceremony to bless the day of events while islanders on Tuvalu prepared for a day of swimming lessons and disaster drills to raise awareness about climate impacts.

As the day continued, hundreds of Australians flew kites adorned with clean energy slogans over Sydney’s Bondi Beach while mass bike rides took places across New Zealand.

Over in India, thousands of farmers, fisher folk, and local leaders gathered in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh to protest the construction of 80 new coal fired power plants, while hundreds of cyclists rode through the streets of Delhi to call for increased public transportation.

In the coming hours, Moving Planet will bring together hundreds of events across the Western Hemisphere, from the formation of a giant bicycle in London and enormous wind-turbine in Paris to mass bicycle parades in Sao Paulo, New York and San Francisco.

Photos from the days events will be displayed on a giant screen outside the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, reminding leaders the world expects progress at climate negotiations in South Africa this November and the Rio+20 Earth Summit next Spring.

"Moving Planet, is a global expression of unity, urgency and purpose to show political and business leaders they need to move from rhetoric to action," said Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International. "Today, we're beginning to move in the right direction."

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More information and hi-res photos and video available at:

http://www.350.org/media/moving-planet

About 350.org:

350.org is an international grassroots climate campaign named after the safe upper concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, 350 parts per million. Right now, the atmosphere contains 392 ppm of CO2. Scientists say immediate action is necessary to address the crisis.
 

Past Press Releases

23 September 2011
Contact: Jamie Henn, jamie@350.org, 415-601-9337

Moving Planet: Egypt and Tonga Launch 2,000+ Bicycle Rides and Rallies for Climate Action

CAIRO -- This morning, events in Egypt and the Kingdom of Tonga helped launch “Moving Planet,” a global day of demonstrations aimed at moving the world beyond fossil-fuels.

Over the next 24 hours, Moving Planet will bring together over 2,000 bicycle rides, marches and rallies in 171 countries. The day of action is being coordinated by 350.org, an international climate change campaign, and came together through emails, social media sites, and blogs.

Click here to read more.

Over 150 Countries Join “Moving Planet” Day to Push for Clean Energy Solutions

Hundreds of thousands prepare for the world’s largest “day without fossil fuels”

INTERNATIONAL -- Is it possible for the world to move beyond fossil fuels? On September 24, more than 150 countries are expected to take part in a global day events called “Moving Planet” dedicated to the goal of solving the climate crisis by ending the world’s dependence on fossil-fuel energy.

From Pacific islands to European capitols, hundreds of thousands will join creative rallies to show that people around the world are ready for clean energy and climate solutions.

Click here to read more.

Featured Global Events

North America:

  • In New York City,  thousands will bike to the UN headquarters for a rally with the Vice President of the Maldives, leaders of indigenous communities, and NASA scientist James Hansen.
  • In Boston, 5,000 people using bicycles, public transit, and their own two feet will rally on the waterfront with 15-foot puppets of politicians who have voted against clean air and climate.
  • In San Francisco, thousands will come together via bike, boat, foot, and electric car for a rally outside San Francisco City Hall with 350.org founder Bill McKibben and Sierra Club Executive Director Mike Brune.
  • In Minneapolis, a mass bicycle ride and interfaith procession including more than 5,000 people and colorful puppets will rally in front of the State Capitol.
  • In Colorado, thousands of cyclists will tackle the ride from Boulder to Denver stopping at two dirty coal plants along the way and ending in a massive rally in front of the State Capitol.
  • In Seattle, 

Latin America:

  • In the Dominican Republic, students painted the country’s first bike lane in Santo Domingo.
  • In Argentina, a bike group will be giving out free bicycle lessons to pedestrians in Buenos Aires.
  • In Brazil, hundreds of cyclists will take to the streets of São Paulo to call for sustainable transportation solutions.

Asia:

  • In India, thousands of people gathered in Andhra Pradesh for a public meeting on the impact of coal pollution in the region.
  • In Indonesia, cyclists will bike 350 hours from Bali to Bandung for a clean energy rally.
  • In Vietnam, thousands of volunteers will take the streets in Ho Chi Minh City and across the country to raise awareness about solutions to local air pollution and climate change.

Europe:

  • In Italy, hundreds of cyclists will take to the busy streets of Milan to draw attention to local pollution and traffic congestion.
  • In Ukraine, hundreds are expected to join a “flash-dance” in Kiev’s main square.
  • In Germany, people will parade through Berlin listening to dance music broadcast by a DJ pulled by an electric car.
  • In France, hundreds of people will gather in Paris to form the image of a giant wind-turbine to demand the “transition énergétique,” an immediate transition to renewable energy.

Africa:

  • In Egypt, hundreds of people will parade in blue clothing to create a human Nile river, drawing attention to the importance of protecting precious water resources.
  • In the Democratic Republic of Congo, organizers are hosting a bike race through the streets of Kinshasa.
  • In Kenya, hundreds of young people will take to the streets of Nairobi to demand solutions to the climate crisis.
  • In South Africa, thousands will join a parade in Cape Town to call on the South African government to support bold climate action at this November’s UN Climate Talks in Durban.

Pacific:

  • In Tonga, villagers are hosting a dawn ceremony to kick-off September 24.
  • In Tuvalu, islanders are performing a series of disaster drills  and evacuation exercises to prepare for climate impacts.
  • In Fiji, people are planting 1,000 trees and taking part in boat parades and bicycle rides.
  • In New Zealand, amateur astronauts in Wellington will be “launching” a rocket to search for a new planet to move to. If the launch fails (as expected), they’ll turn to saving the planet we already have.
  • In Australia, hundreds will gather on Bondi Beach in support of the Prime Minister’s proposed price on pollution.

Middle East / Arab World:

  • In Egypt, thousands of people will create a "Human Nile" in downtown Cairo to raise awareness about global warming's threat to critical water resources
  • In Libya, Dr. Satya and a group of colleagues are hosting a rally at a windfarm in Garabouli.
  • In Tel Aviv, a group of "rollers" (roller-bladers) hosted a Friday evening parade through the streets.
  • In Iran, students are hosting a car free day.

Photos

Click here or on the photo below to access our Flickr site of Moving Planet images from around the world.

Videos

Click here to go to Moving Planet's YouTube page. 

Early B-Roll from Moving Planet

Click here to download a version of this video.

Moving Planet Promotional Video

Moving Planet Sydney, Australia: 

Moving Planet Cairo, Egypt: 

Moving Planet Auckland, New Zealand: